


Engulfed

by altos



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Swearing, cute stuff, i guess, nice, no death but, zukka - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-10-23 18:31:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10724844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/altos/pseuds/altos
Summary: "It's so unfair that the same love that puts fire in your chest, can one day turn to water and slowly drown you."





	Engulfed

**Author's Note:**

  * For [endgame_adashi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/endgame_adashi/gifts).



_ The way fire feels against wet skin is an intense sensation.  _

This was exactly what Sokka thought as soon as his vision went black and gold and he could no longer tell the difference between what was his skin and what was fire.

He didn’t remember much about after that, but he did remember about before.

A fight.

There was a fight, he thinks. He’s sure. He remembers that part. He remembers being angry, but somehow he didn’t feel so angry when all he could think about was the way heat felt when you’re drowning. The way it was still there. The way his skin was still burning even though he couldn’t breathe and he was cold and hot all at once. He didn’t remember anything other than that feeling. It had taken over and become an irreplaceable part of him.

And he was sure that everyone would be worried about him. Having jumped off of a ship and into the water and saluting silently beforehand. Grinning. He’d been so fucking cocky and sure of himself. He’d been _  too  _ cocky and full of himself. And he, with a grimace (if he would grimace at all, he was unsure as his vision had gone completely white and there was a distant ringing in his ears), that he would be getting scolded at some point for his recklessness.

But alas, he didn’t have much time to dwell on that feeling now, because his lungs were burning. He couldn’t breathe? A question hung in the air, in his...mind, that had yet to be answered. Had he chosen to pursue the answer, he’s not sure he would like it.

He did need to breathe, the thought finally came to him. He needed to breathe soon or something terrible was going to happen. Death, maybe. He didn’t...want to die.

But it didn’t matter what he wanted because his body wasn’t functioning. All he kept seeing was white. White everywhere. White light, white noise, white. He’d never felt so utterly desensitized.

He thought, vaguely, that he’d tried to move. To work his muscles and perhaps, rise out of the whiteness and the suffocating (Was it...water?) depths of wherever he was, but it was lost. Lost like every thought he processed, or didn’t process.

 

_ -okka.  _

 

Underwater, names held no meaning. 

 

* * *

 

Zuko didn’t register anything for a full half minute before he was desperately careening himself over the side of the ship. Hands held him back, stopped him from hitting the water, the water that was  _ on fire as they stood there. Fire.  _

 

_ His fire.  _

 

“Zuko! Stop!” Katara’s voice was ringing in his ears. Didn’t she hate him? Wasn’t she worried? 

He wasn’t going to listen to her, not when Sokka was down there, no longer breathing probably, scarred probably.  _ Hurt. _

 

* * *

> “Zuko, chill.” Sokka’s lopsided grin greeted him from the other side of the river. He was standing there cross-armed and nonchalant in that way that somehow made Zuko trust him more than the others. 
> 
> Chill? He couldn’t chill. He was sitting there among his  _ enemies _ and being  _ friendly  _ and it was so anti-Zuko (Or maybe, just maybe, a fleeting thought entered his head, it was anti-his father) that he was uncomfortable enough.
> 
> But Zuko didn’t leave when Sokka took a seat beside him. He watched the fire bender for a moment before snorting,”You look better with your hair down.”
> 
> Zuko scrunched up his nose at Sokka and narrowed his eyes (more than they already were),”...So do you?” He tried. Although he’d only seen him with his hair down once, he thinks. He hated himself for staring.
> 
> Sokka didn’t seem deterred, however, and leaned back on his palms. His grin was still in place as he directed his next question at the stars,”Are you anxious?”
> 
> Zuko tried to read Sokka’s expression before answering,”Why does it matter?”
> 
> Sokka laughed then and turned to him, pointing accusingly,”Because. You’re a part of the team now, flame head.” He snorted when Zuko gave him an irritated scowl,”You gotta talk about things. Your feelings and junk.”
> 
> “My feelings?” The thought was making him wanna run far, far away.
> 
> Sokka nodded matter-of-factly,”Yep!”
> 
> Zuko rolled his eyes and turned back to watch the fish swim,”I guess so.”

 

* * *

As expected, Katara couldn’t hold Zuko back forever. He’d thrown himself over the edge without a second thought and barely missed the fire burning on the surface of the water, sustained by an oil spill. 

When Zuko finally felt Sokka’s form against his fingertips, then his hands and arms and then being pressed against his own body as he pulled him out of the water, it was only then that he let relief sweep over him. He could have cried. Maybe.

* * *

> “You’re a non-bender and you need to remember that!” Zuko shouted angrily, hands tense at his side and curled into fists. He was seething. “You can’t go throwing yourself into  _ dumbass _ situations and just  _ expect  _ that everything will turn out alright for you. Because guess fucking what, Sokka? It  _ won’t _ !” He lashed out, waving one hand out in an arch of defiance. 
> 
> Sokka, however, remained silent. Which was unsettling as it was.
> 
> Zuko let himself cool down a little, panting and eyeing Sokka with the same force he’d held earlier in his rage but with this sense of guilt now creeping up on him. It was like a slow dripping faucet held over a candle. Slow and subtle. Sizzling.
> 
> Sokka turned his back on Zuko with a little wave, face serious. War paint smudged, “‘eah, I know.”
> 
> Zuko thought, he’d been too calm. He’d much rather have prefered a flood, to the torture of a leaking faucet.

* * *

“Hey, Sokka. Wake up.” He patted his cheek, feeling the way his skin was bruised and cold and slightly pink from being exposed to the fire. 

Zuko knew that  _ Sokka _ knew that he hadn’t meant to have him end up in the crossfire. The literal crossfire.  But it didn’t make him feel less of a traitor. Less of some sort of mix between bad and just terrible. It didn’t make the faucet stop leaking.

He rubbed Sokka’s cheek with one thumb and massaged the skin there, eyes suddenly trained on the nonbender’s face when he began to wake up. His lashes fluttered slightly and then he was blinking up at him and Zuko felt his anxiety spike, his blood running hot and his heart skipping several beats.

But then Sokka smiled up at him.

* * *

> Zuko stood near the river, hands wrung out behind his back and his eyes trained on the fish. He knew Sokka would show up soon. It was a thing they did. Zuko couldn’t sleep and Sokka refused to unless everyone else was as well. It was nice. Sometimes. 
> 
> His voice broke the silence earlier than expected, hands curling around Zuko’s waist,”Hey.” 
> 
> Zuko had alarm bells going off in his head at the sound of Sokka whispering in his ear and he moved away, breaking their contact. Sokka chided at his discomfort and smiled at the firebender with mirth in his eyes.
> 
> “I’m not mad at you.”
> 
> “Wasn’t worried about it.” Zuko lied and he knew Sokka knew he was lying, but it didn’t stop him. Never had.
> 
> “Oh, stop, you care about me.”
> 
> Zuko’s heart raced. Yeah, he did. Not that he’d ever admit it. Not that it was something he would ever admit to himself, let alone the source of his affection.
> 
> “Hm.” He offered a low hum in his throat as an answer and sighed in relief when Sokka seemed to accept it.
> 
> But then the arms were back and wrapping around his torso and Zuko didn’t have time to react before a pair of lips were pressing against his neck and the alarms in his head were  _ blaringly  _ loud now but he couldn’t find the strength to push him away so they just stood there, Zuko stiff and Sokka breathing against him.
> 
> “That’s okay.” Sokka snorted.

* * *

Zuko let out a breath of relief and stood back on his heels, reaching for Sokka’s already outstretched hand and pulling him up into a sitting position. 

“Miss me?” Sokka asked, grin wry and his eyes still somehow light and playful despite the imminent approach of death. Zuko always found his optimism slightly deterring.

“Yeah.” He replied, lips pulled tight in a frown before he broke eye contact and instead focused on the lapping waves and hungrier tongues of the fire slowly dying down on the slick surface of the water.

“What?” Sokka raised an eyebrow and it was when Zuko looked back at him that he noticed the singed edges of his lashes and the barely visible pink of being caught on the edges of an explosion.

The faucet wasn’t leaking anymore; the candle was pooling with water and the smoke was wafting into the air.

“Hey,” Zuko leaned down on one knee, lifting his hand to cup Sokka’s cheek gently. He could hear Katara yelling something from the other side of the ship, he could feel wind. He bit his lip, judging the pink mark standing out against Sokka’s dark skin. “I’m sorry.” 

And it was one of few apologies, but it was genuine. Sokka reached up to cup Zuko’s hand in his, snorting like he always does. “Don’t be. There are always risks.” He blinked open his eyes and noticed that Zuko didn’t seem very convinced. He sighed, smile soft and fond, and moved Zuko’s lingering hand away from his cheek. He scooted closer and flicked under Zuko’s nose, making the firebender crinkle it up.

“Listen, flame brain.” Sokka started, though his words lacked heat,”You gotta know by now that your fire doesn’t scare me.” He made eye contact just for effect, to make sure Zuko knew he was genuine, before continuing,” _ In fact! _ ” Sokka crossed his arms and leaned back a little, wincing only slightly when the sensitive skin on his thighs rubbed against the floorboard of the deck. He was thankful Zuko didn’t seem to catch it, or his words might have been taken less seriously,”I think it’s pretty cool.”

Zuko frowned, eyebrows raised. He seemed to be relaxing a little though, which was a start,”What’s that got to do with anything?”

Sokka sighed heavily and uncrossed his arms, reaching forward and clasping one hand on Zuko’s shoulder,”Remember that one time when I told you that I’m well aware of my short-comings?”

Zuko’s eyes widened, like he was suddenly guilty,”Sokka, I-”

“Noooo, no, no, zip.” Sokka raised an eyebrow at him in a terse way before continuing, one finger held up dismissively,”Remember how I said that you’re a stupid firebutt and you probably shoot flame farts out your asshole  _ and we all had a good laugh _ -”

“ _ I tried to kill you- _ ”

“-and everyone had a good time.” Sokka shrugged, ignoring his comment.

Zuko’s curiosity got the better of him. He wasn’t sure where this was going or if Sokka had some head trauma from practically being burned alive and then drowned, but he was starting to get suspicious either way,”Sokka, where are you go-”

Sokka huffed out a short breath and looked back up at him,”Anyways,  _ to quote myself _ ,” He smirked and leaned closer,”Shut up, Ass flames.” And kissed him.

 

And the match was lit.


End file.
